Mitsumeru
by Okamirakuen
Summary: She had been able to see the heart through the eyes. Except him. She can t see his heart. His eyes are a fortress now.


**I finally made my first one-shot. I was reluctant to write one since English is not my First language( I was afraid to make important mistakes). But thanks to AmusedDeath´s help, I managed to post it. **

**Disclaimer: except for Hinata´s mother, all the characters in the story belong to the manga Naruto, propriety of Masashi Kishimoto. **

**It´s a one-shot. It takes place before Pain´s invasion. According to a translator I have, the japanese word "Mitsumeru" means " to look attentively in the eyes" but I guess the translation can vary according to the dictionaries. **

The eyes were the reflection of the heart.

It was what Hinata Hyuuga had always believed.

Since her more tender childhood, she liked to observe her mother´s soft lilac eyes. Perhaps she did not remember her face well, but she remembered her melodious voice when she sang lullabies to her, her suave hands when she rocked her to sleep, and her lavender eyes reflecting her kind and serene aura.

After her death, she still missed her eyes terribly.

She suffered every night in her room, rolled up in her covers, trying to forget the glares of her clan, her father, her cousin, her sister.

Dislike. Indifference. Hatred. Pity.

She would endure these stares every day within her family.

She thought about how ironic her situation was. How many little girls would dream to belong to a prestigious clan and to, additionally, become the leader? How many would naively think such a social position would make it possible to live with comfort and prestige? If only these girls appreciated what Hinata wished for most in the world: freedom. The chance to be able to carry out her life without having a terrible weight on her shoulders, such terrible glances weighing on her.

But things started to change.

In the academy, her classmates would always make fun of a boy. They would call him a loser. Just like her. But instead of running away, he would get up again and would fight again, no matter the laughs, the insults.

His eyes were splendid. Crystalline and radiant, they reflected all the strength, perseverance, and ardor of his personality.

By looking at him only once, Hinata had seen who he was really.

And she fell in love.

When her father said she did not deserve to live within their family, she thought of Naruto who laughed back to the ones laughing at him and saying he didn't deserve to be a shinobi.

He became her model and her source of inspiration.

His blue eyes full of energy were splendid. And when he looked at her, she felt warm and comforted because his eyes were kind. He believed in her, the way he believed in Sakura – the girl whose bright and gorgeous green eyes reflected a fiery and spirited personality she had always been secretly jealous of.

She saw Naruto´s eyes gleam when he saw Sakura. She watched Sakura´s eyes soften when they met Naruto's.

It hurt her a lot at the beginning. But she was happy Naruto considered her one of his most precious people. She just wished she'd one day be able to reveal her feelings to him. Whatever his response, she would be happy just to have mustered the courage.

The eyes of her teacher and her friends were beautiful too. Kurenai's red and sharp eyes reflected kindness and patience, even if they were severe during training. They reminded her of her mother when she put a hand on her shoulder and asked if she was all right.

Hinata would always smile back and assure her that she was okay. Kiba´s eyes were almost like Naruto´s, full of energy and vitality, reflecting a mischievous and cocky personality. His eyes would however soften when he was with her, sparkle when he pulled a prank on her, and fill with concern when he was worried about her. Kiba-kun was a precious friend. And so was Shino-kun, even if she _never_ saw his eyes.

Neji´s amethyst eyes were once full of hatred, especially towards her. She knew why, and for a long time, she felt guilty for his father's death. She wished to ease his pain, to tell him how sorry she was, but she never had the courage to when she met his eyes. Those eyes, full of the hatred that masked the inherent pain of losing a father. In fact, they were both victims of their clan, and she knew it simply by looking at his eyes. She could feel his pain. And she understood him. Very much. Hopefully, his abhorrence had moved far away since his discovery that his father had deliberately sacrificed his life for the safety of the clan. His eyes once full of hatred had become gentle and soft when he was with her. Even if he played the tough guy, she knew it was just a facade.

She had always been able to see the heart through the eyes.

Except_ him._

She never managed to read his mind.

His intense ebony eyes were so deep that one could be inspired by their obscurity. No one was able to read his mind because his eyes were a perfect fortress. No one could see what he was thinking, what he was planning to do. And if one dared to reach into the deepest parts of his mind, those cold, emotionless eyes could turn crimson and plunge them into a nightmarish world. So she never dared to see his eyes.

Even before mastering the technique of the Sharingan, Hinata could feel the power of his stare. Those deep eyes witnessed horror and fear when he was so young. She remembered that his gaze hadn't been like that before. Once they were vivid and full of energy. Even if he wasn´t interacting much with the other kids, he had been a happy child. She smiled when she saw how he cheered up when his big brother searched for him at academy classes. He ran and jumped into his arms, happy and laughing. Yes, he was happy and his eyes showed it. And she had wished someone like Itachi could care for her.

The tragic event shocked her deeply as the Hyuugas talked about it. How? She thought. How was it possible? It couldn't be. That time, when she got lost in Konoha´s streets, Itachi came to her and told her why she was alone. She saw compassion and kindness in his deep, charcoal eyes. She knew it. So how could it be that someone so gentle could have killed all his clan and his family? Was that real? And _him?_ How was he going to survive after a trauma like that? Simply thinking about it left her feeling sick.

She had been at the funeral with her father. The little boy had been unyielding, his black bangs hiding his eyes. The Hokage was near him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Words of comfort were useless. She was still a little girl but she had the intuition that something had died inside of him. She knew he wouldn´t be the same happy child. Her mother`s and uncle´s death touched her deeply so how deep were his wounds right then? How could he love and trust again since the person he loved the most killed his own family? During various days, she wasn´t able to sleep because she had been imagining the terror and the pain he felt that crucial night.

Time passed on, but the boy´s pain was still intense. It turned into something more sinister. She could sense the rage in him; it hurt so much. Her natural empathy could feel it. Everyone was praising his abilities, his cool and handsome appearance. But all Hinata saw was a sad boy devoured by his hatred. She was always afraid to meet his eyes, and when she accidentally did, a shiver of fear would run down her spine. She could see that he tried to avoid contact with almost everyone. The once happy child became a quiet and aloof boy, possessed by a huge odium and desire for revenge.

He was a genius, a mastermind admired for his natural abilities in ninja arts. She was nothing compared to him. She was afraid to find in his severe eyes the same disgust and pity that was reflected in her familys'.

Because of all this, Hinata kept distance between them.

Time passed. She noticed annoyance in Sasuke's eyes when Naruto and Sakura were teasing him. She also spotted amusement when Sasuke teased Naruto in return. He showed concern when Sakura wasn´t feeling well. He still had a human side despite all the hatred that was in his heart. Yes, as frail as it was, it was present, and with the help of his teammates, his mind was beginning to slowly heal. She was glad for him. Perhaps he would be able to forget all his hatred. But this human side was still so fragile, it could have been easily broken. And unfortunately, the wickedness of others could easily corrupt him. Everyone believed his soul had been lost when he went to Orochimaru, but Naruto and Sakura were determined to bring him back. Some people thought the pair was naive and stupid, that they should have accepted the truth. She thought if they wanted to bring him back, it was because they believed in his humanity despite all the evil that was around him and trying to draw upon his dark side.

_Because he isn´t evil. We all have a dark side. _

_Darkness can plague us when we are lost. When pain tortures us._

_Again. And again._

Naruto and Sakura wanted to save him before he became completely lost.

She didn´t know why, but she wished to save him too. Perhaps it was for Naruto-kun. His friend's loss touched him deeply, and she could understand how tormented he must have been. Perhaps it was for Sakura-san. She saw the sorrow in the girl's emerald eyes whenever someone mentioned his name. Even Ino was careful to not mention his name in front of her.

Perhaps it is for _him?_

That time when she was little, when she got lost in the streets of Konoha, crying and shaking because it was turning dark, she felt a hand on her right shoulder and a soft voice asking her if she was okay.

"_Are you lost, little one?_

"_Nii-san! She is from the Hyuuga family!"_

_He gave her his hand and smiled._

"_Don´t worry. Nii-san and I will bring you home". _

_She blushed and timidly took his tiny hand._

_At that time, his eyes were warm. His smile was radiant. _

That´s why she wanted to save him too.

Because like Naruto and Sakura, she once saw humanity and kindness in his eyes.

Because she wanted to see happiness again in his ebony eyes.

**Just to precise, "Nii-san" means Brother in japanese. The suffix "san" is used with a touch of respect. Sasuke used to call Itachi Nii-san, especially when he was little. **

**Although I don´t like very much Naruhina for many reasons, I believe Naruto is a very important person for Hinata, that´s why I included him. In any event, we all know how complex is the case of pairings in Naruto. No one has to have the same opinions and preferences when it comes to like or not like a character or a pairing. Respect and tolerance are more important.**

**Thanks for reading it and sorry again for the quality and the quantity, I promiss I will try to do better next time.**

**Thank you again AmusedDeath for your beta. Despite all the work you have, you put a lot of dedication, and I am very grateful to you. Guys, check her awesome fanfictions!**


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